Vocabulary List #9

aghast: feeling great horror or dismay

•    Tiffany was aghast to discover she had toilet paper stuck to her shoe while she was being crowned homecoming queen.

•    Kate was aghast to learn she hadn't made the volleyball team.

redundant: needlessly repetitive

•    "Saying two twins is redundant," said the English teacher.

•    "It is important," said Lou's father. "It's vital. It's crucial. Its . . ." He stopped and sighed. "I guess I'm being redundant."

gullible: easily fooled or taken in

•    Roseanne was so gullible she always believed the outlandish stories Maurice told her.

•    Sven lost $500 in a telephone scam because he is so gullible.

eccentric: out-of-the-ordinary; odd; unconventional

•    The eccentric woman kept a slice of pepperoni pizza under her mattress in case she got hungry during the night.

•    The play is funny because it has so many eccentric characters. You never know what they're going to do next.

inanimate: not living

•    Shelley didn't think of her stuffed animals as inanimate objects. They seemed so alive and real to her.

•    A computer is an inanimate object, but a hamster is not.

jeer: to make fun of in a rude, sarcastic manner

•    When the football team fell behind by another seven points, the fans jeered instead of cheered.

•    The crowd jeered Elaine when her comedy routine flopped.
 

 

Paradox: a statement that seems inconsistent or contradictory but may be true

•    "You say you love him yet hate him," said LuAnn. "That seems like a para­dox to me."

•    "That funny clown is sad," said Craig. "That seems like a paradox, but I believe it's true.

Ravenous: extremely hungry

•    A full day of skiing left Luisa ravenous. She ate three plates of spaghetti when she got back to the lodge.

•    No matter how much he eats for breakfast, Paul is always ravenous by sec­ond period.

Valiant:  brave;courageous